CTOO puts illegal tour operations on notice

By Regina Mae Ronquillo on July 3, 2019

The City Tourism Operations Office (CTOO) warned operators of unlicensed online tour activities who continue to advertise their businesses on social media.

CTOO head Regina Rosa D. Tecson said they have been monitoring these illegal operations for a while now since they are offering unsafe tour packages and false advertisements. She said they must legalize their businesses by applying for permits from the city to protect their customers.

“When they comply with the business permit as tour operators, they need to go first to the tourism office so they can get the (list of) requirements needed for tour operator,” Tecson told TIMES on Tuesday.

Tecson said they have observed rampant postings of tour packages, primarily on Facebook. Her office has also been receiving numerous complaints from these tour operators.

“From our end, we check if they have business permits or tourism licenses, if they do not have (these documents) we will conduct an inspection,” she said.

One of the challenges is that these tour operators don’t have physical addresses. These operators are also offering untrained and unlicensed tour guides, which exposes their customers to unnecessary risks.